Today's Teamster News 10.14.13

<a href="http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1241573/negotiations-between-teamsters-and-cn-derail" rel="nofollow">Negotiations between Teamsters and CN derail</a>  Teamsters Canada   ...The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC), which represents some 3,300 conductors, trainmen, yardmen and traffic coordinators at Canadian National (CN), are gearing up for a fight with the railway company...<br /><a href="http://dobetternissan.org/2013/10/compa-report" rel="nofollow">Report outlines how Nissan in Canton, Miss., is violating international human rights standards of workers who want to organize and bargain collectively</a>  Do Better Nissan   ...in the Canton plant, according to the report, Nissan has launched a campaign of fear and intimidation to nullify these rights...<br /><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-10-11/federal-workers-stretch-last-paycheck-until-shutdown-ends.html" rel="nofollow">Federal Workers Stretch Last Paycheck Until Shutdown Ends</a>  Bloomberg   ...The average federal employee earned an annual salary of $76,353 in 2012, and the lost income is exerting a drag on the economy as well as forcing employees who live paycheck-to-paycheck to figure out how to cover their bills until the shutdown ends...<br /><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/oct/09/worlds-wealthy-where-russia-rich-list?CMP=twt_gu" rel="nofollow">The world's wealthy: where on earth are the richest 1%?</a>  The Guardian   ...Amid a record high for average global wealth its figures reveal striking inequalities – such as 35% of Russia's riches in the hands of 110 people...<br /><a href="http://www.economicpopulist.org/" rel="nofollow">Don't Count on a 1.5% Social Security Increase, the Figures Have not Been Released Yet</a>  Economic Populist   ...The problem with this headline announcement by the press is the social security cost of living increase has not been announced yet and is highly dependent on government inflation statistics for September...<br /><a href="http://truth-out.org/news/item/19334-the-tragedy-of-greece-as-a-case-study-of-neo-imperial-pillage-and-the-demise-of-social-europe" rel="nofollow">The Tragedy of Greece as a Case Study of Neo-Imperial Pillage and the Demise of Social Europe</a>  Truthout   ...A public debt crisis has been used as an opportunity to dismantle a rudimentary social state, to sell off profitable public enterprises and state assets at bargain prices, to deprive labor of even its most basic rights after decades of hard-fought struggles against capital, and to substantially reduce wages, salaries and pensions, creating a de facto banana republic...<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/13/opinion/sunday/the-end-of-the-nation-state.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0" rel="nofollow">The End of the Nation-State?</a> (opinion)  New York Times   ... though most of us might not realize it, “nonstate world” describes much of how global society already operates. This isn’t to say that states have disappeared, or will. But they are becoming just one form of governance among many...<br /><a href="http://electionlawblog.org/?p=55927&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+electionlawblog%2FuqCP+%28Election+Law%29" rel="nofollow">Breaking: Judge Posner Admits He Was Wrong in Crawford Voter ID Case</a>  Election Law Blog   ..."we…. weren’t really given strong indications that requiring additional voter identification would actually disfranchise people entitled to vote..."<br /><a href="http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2013/10/why-ceo-pay-will-keep-rising-to-even-more-insanely-unjustified-levels-while-ordinary-workers-fare-worse.html" rel="nofollow">Why CEO Pay Will Keep Rising to Even More Insanely Unjustified Levels While Ordinary Workers Get Squeezed</a>  naked capitalism   ...Even casual scrutiny will tell you that the current ridiculous levels of CEO pay bear no relationship to anything other than their highly developed rent extraction skills...<br /><br /><br />

CEO Pay European debt crisis government shutdown Greece negotiations rail social security trade union busting voter suppression Today's Teamster News 10.14.13

Negotiations between Teamsters and CN derail  Teamsters Canada   ...The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC), which represents some 3,300 conductors, trainmen, yardmen and traffic coordinators at Canadian National (CN), are gearing up for a fight …

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Workers getting paid like its 1989

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0h_dGLMurMP4xjAAQj0karoMUOl4wh1xSKmQjij1iKjIlQg5kGdVQdvjSJRxotdzsOuZ0gl8uzlPMW7NiMsJReB0n9JsivDzCYPRVFautp0X9h_sMBwY7hZtbHzXxAfJCZea7c_zxMdpC/s1600/middle-class_I7bsn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0h_dGLMurMP4xjAAQj0karoMUOl4wh1xSKmQjij1iKjIlQg5kGdVQdvjSJRxotdzsOuZ0gl8uzlPMW7NiMsJReB0n9JsivDzCYPRVFautp0X9h_sMBwY7hZtbHzXxAfJCZea7c_zxMdpC/s320/middle-class_I7bsn.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Employment might be up slightly, but salaries aren’t. Despite more people going back to work, American families are continuing to struggle and, according to a </span><a href="http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/income_wealth/cb13-165.html" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">new U.S. Census Bureau report</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><u><span style="color: blue;">,</span></u></span> are now making less than they did in 1989 when adjusted for inflation.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As Neil Irwin of The Washington Post pointed out, 24 years ago the median U.S. household made $51,681 in current dollars, compared to $51,017 in 2012. So despite employment gains, the situation remains dire. And </span><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/17/the-typical-american-family-makes-less-than-it-did-in-1989/?print=1" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the drop in salary can’t just be blamed on the last recession</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, he said:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div><blockquote class="tr_bq"> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This isn’t a lost decade for economic gains for Americans. It is a lost generation.</span></blockquote></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Why has that happened? Well one would have to be blind not to see that a </span><a href="http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/union2.pdf" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">drop in union membership</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> has had a major impact. In 1983, 20.1 percent of workers belonged to union. That number fell to 11.3 percent last year. </span><a href="http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2013/ted_20130513.htm" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Union jobs bring higher salaries</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. It’s not hard to understand.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Of course, the desire to pay lower wages is why groups such as the </span><a href="http://www.alecexposed.org/" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">American Legislative Exchange Council</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> (ALEC) and their corporate buddies have pushed for the implementation of no-rights-at-work laws in many states across the country. They know a good deal (for them) when they see it. So they wine-and-dine state lawmakers and spend millions to pass laws that hinder worker’s organizing efforts.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another big reason is the enactment of the </span><a href="http://teamsternation.blogspot.com/search?q=NAFTA&max-results=20&by-date=true"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">North American Free Trade Agreement and other so-called “free” trade deals</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. While American workers were promised more jobs and improved wages, they didn’t get either. All the benefits went to big business.<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> The result is while corporate profits continue to soar, nothing is trickling down to average workers. Three years into an economic recovery, they haven’t recovered a thing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jared-bernstein/2012-poverty-income-health-insurance-data_b_3943458.html?view=screen" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Former Obama administration economist Jared Bernstein</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> said:</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, the economy has expanded over these past few years, but to use a seasonal analogy, today’s report is yet another piece of evidence that this growth has once again done an end run around middle and lower income households on the way to the top of the scale.<o:p></o:p></span></blockquote></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> So where do workers go from here? Just follow what thousands of them have been doing in recent months at America’s ports, fast food chains and big-box retailers. They are saying enough is enough and walking off the job. They are taking a stand for fair wages, better working conditions and the right to organize. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That’s the path for a good job and more money in their pocket.</span></div>

ALEC Nafta union busting wage stagnation Workers getting paid like its 1989

Employment might be up slightly, but salaries aren’t. Despite more people going back to work, American families are continuing to struggle and, according to a new U.S. Census Bureau report, are now making less than they did in 1989 when adjusted fo…

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Port drivers rise up against employer abuse, plan protest

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNymgtyTl33OOhA1I_nUwZWH6SrOvcFWBIZ09MfrzWUeXt_AGratP-1Csa5tAgARcam_UhsaGgOP-vSKpK4cmy-KnY3kPMjprj_Q87YvFJHPf7vLtQ7ty76PayqX0DH9dQ4Orkv8nL6pTd/s1600/Port+truck+driver+rally.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNymgtyTl33OOhA1I_nUwZWH6SrOvcFWBIZ09MfrzWUeXt_AGratP-1Csa5tAgARcam_UhsaGgOP-vSKpK4cmy-KnY3kPMjprj_Q87YvFJHPf7vLtQ7ty76PayqX0DH9dQ4Orkv8nL6pTd/s320/Port+truck+driver+rally.png" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Port driver Jose Luis Alvarado invites<br />you to a rally to demand respect on Tuesday.</td></tr></tbody></table>Truck drivers at the Port of L.A. are holding a large rally on Tuesday to demand respect from their abusive employer, Green Fleet Systems. One of the drivers, Jose Luis Alvarado, invites you to attend:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">My name is Jose Luis Alvarado. I am a port truck driver working at Green Fleet Systems. I have been a port truck driver for 13 years serving the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Although the work that is done by me and my coworkers is vital to the American economy, our work often goes unnoticed. Besides the times we might be driving next to you on the freeway, we are mostly invisible. On a daily basis, people buy TVs, toys, and clothes that we haul to warehouses and distribution centers for you and your family. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">Almost no one is aware of the <a href="http://www.forbes.com/pictures/efkk45kifl/no-8-driversales-workers-and-truck-drivers-3/" rel="nofollow">working conditions</a> that we face on a day-to-day basis and how this affects us and our families. We work long hours for little pay. At the end of the day, it’s hard to make ends meet. As the father of 3 children, I am often stressed about being able to pay my bills and provide my children with the opportunities that I never had in Guatemala. Green Fleet Systems offers us a company medical insurance plan, but in order to get coverage for me and my family, I would have to pay $100 a week. There is no way that I can afford it. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">At work, my coworkers and I face constant disrespect from management. We are insulted and screamed at for any small mistake that is committed. No one deserves to be treated this way. We have earned the same rights and treatment that every hardworking American deserves. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">It is because of the harassment that we are facing as we try to form a union that we are taking action to demand justice at Green Fleet Systems. We demand that Green Fleet Systems management stop retaliating against us as we organize to form our union. We say stop the intimidation! Stop the union busting!</blockquote><i>The rally will be held on Tuesday at 3:30 pm in Carson, Calif., at Green Fleet Systems warehouse, 20500 S. Alameda St.  Read more <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1395542780671801/" rel="nofollow">here</a></i>.<br /><div><br /></div>

port drivers protest union busting Port drivers rise up against employer abuse, plan protest

Port driver Jose Luis Alvarado invitesyou to a rally to demand respect on Tuesday.Truck drivers at the Port of L.A. are holding a large rally on Tuesday to demand respect from their abusive employer, Green Fleet Systems. One of the drivers, Jose Luis…

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Teamsters to protest against McKesson worker retaliation

McKesson Corporation will face a large Teamster protest tomorrow outside its shareholder meeting in San Francisco tomorrow because it abuses workers at its distribution facility in Lakeland, Fla. Though McKesson employees voted for Teamster representation more than a year ago, the company still will not agree to a first contract that provides decent wages and affordable health care.<br /><br />McKesson, the largest pharmaceutical distributor in North America is retaliating against its Lakeland employees,. The company hired a union-busting law firm and has threatened and intimidated the workers rather than agree to wages they can live on.<br /><br />The San Francisco-based pharmaceutical distributor is a poster child for corporate greed and corruption.<br />Accused of stealing from taxpayers and payors by fixing drug prices, it had to pay nearly $1 billion in legal settlements. Then the board allowed CEO John Hammergren to loot the company of roughly $50 million a year, with a pension estimated at $159 billion.<br /><br />Tomorrow, McKesson will also face an investor backlash inside the shareholder meeting over the company’s excessive executive pay practices and poor corporate governance. The Change to Win Investment Group has called for a vote against Hammergren – as well as two other board members – because of the company’s pay practices and financial and reputational risks arising from widespread price fixing allegations.<br /><br />Rome Aloise, Teamsters international vice president and president of Teamsters Joint Council 7, said it's no wonder health care costs are rising.<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">Teamsters won’t stand by while McKesson fleeces workers, investors and the American public.</blockquote>Stay tuned. <br /><div><br /></div>

CEO Pay low wage workers union busting Teamsters to protest against McKesson worker retaliation

McKesson Corporation will face a large Teamster protest tomorrow outside its shareholder meeting in San Francisco tomorrow because it abuses workers at its distribution facility in Lakeland, Fla. Though McKesson employees voted for Teamster represent…

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